Books are cool, bro.

The Miami Book Fair International was the happening place to be this week. As witnessed in the photo above, it will make you do very, and I mean very, cool things. The Mystery Writers of America passed out fans with Edgar Allen Pow on them, and what a relief, because our lovely, little cold snap kind of vanished this afternoon.

I kicked off the week last Friday or Saturday with a reading by Barbara Kingsolver. In high school, we read Animal Dreams, which I have reread many times since 12th grade AP english lit. Although I went through an early Kingsolver ready frenzy in college, I never really got into her more recent epic novels. Maybe I was distracted, because they're international hits, and this means everyone else loves them. Anyway, one of her more recent books, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, documents her and her family's year of living off of local produce and their own little plot of heaven in Appalachia. She's not only a brilliant author, Kingsolver is an extremely interesting person and a great reader. When she signed my book, I actually became starstruck and stuttered my way through telling her my favorite book and about a mutual family of friends we share. So neat.

Though there was no Antiquarian Annex this year, the booksellers with the good oldies were situated in a tight little group by the entrance. There were some interesting things to flip through.

Please, someone tell me that they have read this book and that it was wonderful.

This is my friend Hillary. She's wearing a limited edition A Walk in the Woods backpack. Not sure if you know how extremely awesome Bill Bryson's book is, but it is a combination of the funniest and most interesting book ever. If I could date this book, I would.

Headz is a novel for music lovers, and The Jewish Lady, the Black Man and the Road Trip, is for black men and Jewish ladies.

Here are the McSweeney's people. The guy on the left and the chick in the middle were pleasant enough to bargain with me on a book. It looks like it'll take me an hour to read, so I thought it should be more inexpensive. They didn't agree.

These 2 dudes had long hair and tons of style. Yes, these are dudes. A pink french braid? I think this will rule my fashion world for the next few weeks.

Poetry is making a comeback in the 305. You may occasionally catch the Poetry Depot typing away at art walk, tailoring poems to your liking. They also have Five Cent Journal an anthology of local poets. Google it.

I also found some guy who writes road trip/travel guides, American Auto Trails. I want to buy some when I finally make some cash.

The Books and Books, pre-fair teaser, John Irving: